Peninsula Explained
A peninsula[1] is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most sides.[2] [3] Peninsulas exist on all continents.[4] The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula.
Etymology
The word peninsula derives, . The word entered English in the 16th century.
Definitions
A peninsula is generally defined as a piece of land surrounded on most sides by water.[5]
A peninsula may be bordered by more than one body of water, and the body of water does not have to be an ocean or a sea. A piece of land on a very tight river bend or one between two rivers is sometimes said to form a peninsula, for example in the New Barbadoes Neck in New Jersey, United States. A peninsula may be connected to the mainland via an isthmus, for example, in the Isthmus of Corinth which connects to the Peloponnese peninsula.
Formation and types
Peninsulas can be formed from continental drift, glacial erosion, glacial meltwater, glacial deposition, marine sediment, marine transgressions, volcanoes, divergent boundaries or river sedimentation. More than one factor may play into the formation of a peninsula. For example, in the case of Florida, continental drift, marine sediment, and marine transgressions were all contributing factors to its shape.
Glaciers
In the case of formation from glaciers (e.g., the Antarctic Peninsula or Cape Cod), peninsulas can be created due to glacial erosion, meltwater or deposition. If erosion formed the peninsula, softer and harder rocks were present, and since the glacier only erodes softer rock, it formed a basin. This may create peninsulas, and occurred for example in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
In the case of formation from meltwater, melting glaciers deposit sediment and form moraines, which act as dams for the meltwater. This may create bodies of water that surround the land, forming peninsulas.
If deposition formed the peninsula, the peninsula was composed of sedimentary rock, which was created from a large deposit of glacial drift. The hill of drift becomes a peninsula if the hill formed near water but was still connected to the mainland, for example during the formation of Cape Cod about 23,000 years ago.
Others
In the case of formation from volcanoes, when a volcano erupts magma near water, it may form a peninsula (e.g., the Alaskan Peninsula). Peninsulas formed from volcanoes are especially common when the volcano erupts near shallow water. Marine sediment may form peninsulas by the creation of limestone. A rift peninsula may form as a result of a divergent boundary in plate tectonics (e.g. the Arabian Peninsula), while a convergent boundary may also form peninsulas (e.g. Gibraltar or the Indian subcontinent). Peninsulas can also form due to sedimentation in rivers. When a river carrying sediment flows into an ocean, the sediment is deposited, forming a delta peninsula.
Marine transgressions (changes in sea level) may form peninsulas, but also may affect existing peninsulas. For example, the water level may change, which causes a peninsula to become an island during high water levels. Similarly, wet weather causing higher water levels make peninsulas appear smaller, while dry weather make them appear larger. Sea level rise from global warming will permanently reduce the size of some peninsulas over time.
Uses
Peninsulas are noted for their use as shelter for humans and Neanderthals. The landform is advantageous because it gives hunting access to both land and sea animals.They can also serve as markers of a nation's borders.
List of the largest peninsulas in the world
| Rank | Peninsula | Continent | Subregion | Part of | Area | Nation(s) | Source |
|---|
| (km2) | |
|---|
| 1 | Arabian Peninsula | Asia | West Asia | Arabia | 3,100,000 | |  Iraq (southern region)
 Jordan (southern region)
 Kuwait
 Oman
 Qatar
 Saudi Arabia
 United Arab Emirates
 Yemen | [6] |
| 2 | Indochinese Peninsula | Southeast Asia | Mainland Southeast Asia | 2,000,000 | |  Cambodia
 Malaysia (western region)
 Myanmar
 Thailand
| [7] |
| 3 | Deccan Peninsula | South Asia | Indian Subcontinent | 1,900,000 | |  India (southern region) | [8] |
| 4 | Labrador Peninsula | North America | Northern America | – | 1,400,000 | |  Canada (eastern region) | [9] |
| 5 | Anatolian Peninsula | Asia | West Asia | Asia Minor | 755,688 | |  Turkey (Asian part) | [10] |
| 6 | Scandinavian Peninsula | Europe | Northern Europe | Fennoscandia | 750,000 | |  Finland (northern region)
 Norway
 Sweden | [11] |
| Somali Peninsula | Africa | East Africa | Horn of Africa | 750,000 | |  Ethiopia (eastern region)
 Somalia | [12] |
| 8 | Balkan Peninsula | Europe | Southern Europe | South-eastern Europe | 666,700 | |  Albania
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Bulgaria
 Croatia (southern mainland)
 Greece (mainland)
 Montenegro
 Romania (coastal region)
 Serbia (central region)
 Slovenia (south-western region)
Turkey (European part) | [13] |
| 9 | Iberian Peninsula | South-western Europe | 583,256 | |  Andorra
 France (French Cerdagne)
 Gibraltar (United Kingdom)
 Portugal (mainland)
 Spain (mainland) | [14] |
| 10 | Antarctic Peninsula | Antarctica | West Antarctica | – | 522,000 | | – | [15] |
| 11 | Taymyr Peninsula | Asia | North Asia | North Siberian Lowland | 400,000 | | (Krasnoyarsk Krai) | [16] |
| 12 | Kamchatka Peninsula | Russian Far East | 370,000 | | (Kamchatka Krai) | [17] | |
See also
References
Bibliography
Notes and References
- (;) 2016-05-01.
- Web site: Definition of peninsula . Cambridge Dictionaries Online . . 1 May 2016.
- Web site: Kersey . Paul . 23 July 2021 . What is a Peninsula? . 2022-04-30 . Infoplease . en.
- Web site: 2011-01-21 . peninsula . 2022-04-30 . National Geographic Society . en.
- Web site: list of peninsulas . 2022-04-30 . Britannica . en.
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Arabia-peninsula-Asia Encyclopædia Britannica: "Arabia"
- Web site: Tsvetkov . Kaloyan . Traykov . Tony . July 2023 . Polytheistic and Syncretic Religious Beliefs in Southeast Asia - Nature, Features, and Geographical Distribution . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240108190648/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372622427_Polytheistic_and_Syncretic_Religious_Beliefs_in_Southeast_Asia_-_Nature_Features_and_Geographical_Distribution . Jan 8, 2024 . ResearchGate.
- Web site: Jan 2010 . Explore India - Mineral Scenario of the States of India . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240314130321/http://ibm.gov.in/writereaddata/files/09182018162439Mineral%20Scenario%20pdf.pdf . Mar 14, 2024 . Government of India - Ministry of Mines.
- Web site: 2021-09-01 . Labrador Peninsula . John . Misachi . WorldAtlas . en-US . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240108190545/https://www.worldatlas.com/peninsulas/labrador-peninsula.html . Jan 8, 2024 .
- Web site: Seferoglu . S. Sadi . Turkey at a Glance - Geography . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240108190551/https://www.columbia.edu/~sss31/Turkiye/geo.html . Jan 8, 2024 . Türkiye on the Web.
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Scandinavian-Peninsula Encyclopædia Britannica: "Scandinavian Peninsula"
- Web site: Article bay . Jan 17, 2023 . Africa’s largest peninsula has always been on the target of world powers. Where is it actually located? . live . https://archive.today/20240327003247/https://articlebay.medium.com/africas-largest-peninsula-has-always-been-on-the-target-of-world-powers-9364c1f29b8e . 27 Mar 2024 . Medium.
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Balkans Encyclopædia Britannica: "Balkans"
- Web site: 2021-02-11 . Iberian Peninsula . John . Misachi . WorldAtlas . en-US . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240108190513/https://www.worldatlas.com/peninsulas/iberian-peninsula.html . Jan 8, 2024 .
- Web site: Davies . Bethan . 2020-06-22 . Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet . AntarcticGlaciers.org . en-GB . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221128071739/https://www.antarcticglaciers.org/antarctica-2/antarctic-peninsula-2/ . Nov 28, 2022 .
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Taymyr-Peninsula Encyclopædia Britannica: "Taymyr Peninsula"
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Kamchatka-Peninsula Encyclopædia Britannica: "Kamchatka Peninsula"
